It's Quiet Uptown
by FallenAngel218
Summary: A kidnapping case brings forth a long hidden secret that has turned into an obsession for Tim. Will he let his friends in on his lone quest to solve a case that has been cold for 25 years?
1. Chapter 1

_Notes: Written for iHeartGibbs for WEE 2017. Inspired by the song "It's Quiet Uptown" from the musical "Hamilton."_

 _Warnings: I'm writing this in the current season (end of season 14 and onward)… spoiler warnings apply, but nothing too critical._

 **Chapter 1**

"Hold that elevator!" Tim shouted as he darted across the lobby. A hand appeared and stopped the elevator door, and Tim scrambled inside. Gibbs pulled his hand back, and the door closed.

"Morning, Tim."

"Morning, Boss."

"You're late."

"I'm sorry... Delilah is going through morning sickness... I didn't sleep a wink."

Gibbs chuckled and sipped his coffee.

"No worries. I know exactly what you mean."

The doors opened at the squad room, and Tim went to his desk. There was a pile of mail on top of his keyboard when he sat down, and he sighed and started to thumb through it. He came across a sealed inter-office envelope, with only his name written on the front, and quickly slipped it into his bottom drawer. He couldn't risk any of his colleagues seeing the contents of that envelope.

As he turned his attention to his e-mail, Gibbs stood up.

"We have a case. The 3 year old son of a Marine was taken from his bed last night. Let's go."

Tim felt a pang in the pit of his stomach. He loathed kidnapping cases. Nobody came out of them emotionally stable, no matter the outcome. He shook his personal feelings aside and picked up his bag. He had a job to do.

********

"Landon's room is this way," Mrs. Dickerson said as he led Tim and Torres up the stairs. "I haven't touched anything... I-I don't want to."

Tim laid a hand gently on her shoulder as they stopped in front of the bedroom door.

"Why don't you wait out here," he said gently. "We won't be long."

She nodded slowly, and Tim and Torres made their way into the child's room. The bedroom window was open, letting a slight breeze into the room. The child's bed sheets were rumpled, as if he'd been yanked right out of his bed.

Torres went to the window and looked out.

"That's a long way down. Do you think that's how our perp got in?"

When Tim didn't offer a response, Torres turned around. Tim was staring blankly at the bed, seemingly in his own world.

"Tim?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 _1993..._

 _Emergency lights danced on the bedroom wall as police investigators scoured the bedroom. Tim leaned on the door frame, watching them. Sarah clung to his arm, tears rolling down her cheeks. They watched as the police took samples from the rumpled bed sheets, and dusted for prints. How could he have let this happen on his watch?_

 _A hand on his shoulder brought his gaze away from the empty bed. A detective was standing at his side, his expression a mix of compassion and urgency._

 _"Can I talk to you for a few minutes, son?"_

 _Tim nodded._

 _"Sarah, go into Mom and Dad's room. I'll be in there in a minute, okay?"_

 _She clung tighter to him._

 _"I don't want to leave you."_

 _Tim hugged her tightly._

 _"I promise I'll never let anything happen to you."_

 _"I don't believe you."_

 _She ran down the hall to her parents' room and slammed the door behind her._

 ** _TBC..._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"McGee? You all right man?"

Torres waved his hand in front of his partner's face. Tim blinked and came out of his daze.

"I'm sorry... I'm fine. What was your question?"

"I asked if you think our perp got in through the bedroom window."

Tim crossed the room to the window and looked out.

"It's a second floor window, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a point of entry." He turned to Torres. "Can you dust for prints? I'll take care of the photos."

"Sure thing."

Tim smiled and went to get the camera. Confused, Torres took out his tools and began collecting evidence.

######

Gibbs was finishing up with a neighbor when Torres and Tim came out of the house.

"What do you got?"

"Bedroom window is a possible point of entry," Tim said quickly. "There isn't anything there to climb on, but that doesn't mean the perp didn't bring his own tools."

Torres opened his mouth to add something, but Tim cut him off again.

"We got prints from the window and the bed... Abby will have to separate the ones from the family and see if there are any viable ones."

"Good. Did you talk to the Mother?" Gibbs asked, purposely directing his question at Torres.

"I did," Torres said before Tim could cut him off again. "She was in the kitchen when the boy was taken. She was talking to her husband on the phone when she heard screaming from her son's room. She ran upstairs, and by the time she got to the bedroom, he was gone."

"What about his sister?"

"Leanna Martin, age 14," Tim read from his notebook. "She was in her room, with her earbuds in. She didn't hear a thing."

"Isn't her room next to Caleb's room?" Torres asked.

"It is. I wasn't able to talk with her for very long... she was upset."

"With good reason... her brother was kidnapped," Gibbs said.

Tim put his notebook into the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Are we done here?"

Gibbs gave him a long look.

"Yeah, we're done. You and Torres get that stuff into the van."

Tim nodded and beckoned Torres along with him.

Gibbs watched Tim walk away. Kidnapping cases always affected the team more than any other kind of case, but this particular case seemed to have Tim on edge. Knowing how his Senior Agent felt about confrontation, Gibbs decided to observe for a while, before confronting him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 _1993..._

 _"Sarah!" Tim knocked on his parents' bedroom door. "Sarah, please let me in!"_

 _"I don't want to talk to you!" She shouted from inside. Tim could hear the pain in his sister's voice, and he felt his heart drop to his feet._

 _"Sarah, please... we need to talk."_

 _"Leave me alone!"_

 _Tim rested his forehead against the door. How the hell was he going to fix this?_

 _A shriek from downstairs alerted that his parents were home. He could hear his mother crying hysterically, and an oficer's voice trying to calm her down. The next thing he heard put a knot in his stomach. It was his father's booted footsteps, coming up the stairs._

 _"Timothy!"_

 _He turned toward the stairs as his father stormed down the hallway._

 _"Down here, Dad."_

 _"What the hell happened here?"_

 _"I-I'm sorry Dad... was in my room, and I didn't hear anything... if I had heard-"_

 _"Your bedroom is right next to his! How could you not hear anything!"_

 _"I-I-"_

 _"You are the most irresponisble -" The Admiral stopped himself. "Where's your sister?"_

 _"In your bedroom. I can't get her to come out."_

 _"Get out of my sight. I'll take care of your sister. You're clearly incapable."_

 _Tim went quickly down the hallway, away from his father. He turned at the top of the stairs, and watched the Admiral go into his bedroom. He turned and made his way downstairs to face his Mother._

 **TBC...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Tim sat at his desk, staring at his computer. A search was running itself on the screen. The sight of the empty bed was still on his mind. Someone had gotten into that child's room, snatched him and escaped before his Mother could get up the stairs. Tim wasn't going to stop until that little boy was safe in his mother's arms.

"What have we got?" Gibbs asked as he swept into the squad room with a fresh cup of coffee.

"Abby was able to get a couple of viable prints," Ellie reported. "She's still running them through AFIS."

"Good. McGee, what intel do you have for me?"

McGee was unresponsive... his eyes were glued to his computer, as if he were in a trance.

"McGee!" Gibbs shouted. Tim jumped and tore his eyes from the monitor.

"Huh? What?"

"Your intel... what have you got?"

"Oh," he clicked a few buttons. "I've been digging into Captain Dickerson's past... I'm not coming up with anyone that would want to hurt him or his family."

"Keep looking. There's got to be something out there."

"On it, Boss."

Tim's fingers flew across the keyboard, continuing his work. He wasn't going to give up until the perpetrator was behind bars.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 _1993..._

 _Tim found his mother on the living room couch, with a police officer's arm around her as she cried. His heart broke all over again as he slowly crossed the room._

 _"Mom."_

 _Ellen McGee looked up at her oldest son, and then got up and enveloped him in a hug._

 _"Mom, I'm sorry... I-"_

 _"It's okay, sweetie," she whispered in his ear._

 _"I couldn't save him, Mom... I let this happen..."_

 _Ellen pulled away and looked into her son's eyes. She could see that he was completely torn apart._

 _"The police and NCIS will find him. They will bring him back to us. Okay?"_

 _Tim nodded slowly as his mother wiped away his tears._

 _If NCIS couldn't find him, he was going to search every square inch of the planet until he brought him home._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"McGee."

Tim shot up at his desk. Gibbs was standing over him, holding two cups of coffee. He set one on Tim's desk.

"Did you sleep here, Tim?"

Tim checked his watch. It was 0730 hours.

"I guess I did. I'm sorry, Boss... I meant to go home."

"You'd better call Delilah before she has a BOLO put out on you."

Tim grabbed his desk phone and immediately dialed his wife's cell phone number. Gibbs took his own coffee over to his desk and sat down. He pretended to check his voice mail while he watched Tim. The gut feeling that had started the day before was even stronger now. He wasn't ready to confront Tim about his erratic behavior just yet. Barreling at him with accusations would push Tim away, and that wasn't Gibbs' objective.

Saving Tim's sanity was.

########

The Team spent the next two weeks chasing leads. Every time they thought they had something, they hit another brick wall. By 8 PM, everyone was clearly beyond frustration.

"Go home everyone, get some rest."

Torres and Ellie didn't need to be told twice, as they gathered their gear and left. Tim, however, remained at his seat, his fingers flying over the keyboard. He seemed to be in a trance as information came up on his screen at incredible speeds. Gibbs looked around the squad room. He and Tim were the last to leave. Now was the time to talk with his Agent... he couldn't let this go on any longer. Gibbs got up and walked over to Tim's desk.

"Tim."

Tim's gaze didn't falter from his computer.

"McGee," Gibbs said louder. Tim blinked, and finally looked up. "Go home, Tim."

"I'm almost done with this, Boss... I just need to-"

"Stop."

"What?"

"Stop what you're doing. You haven't moved from that chair in 24 hours. Go home to your wife. Get some rest."

"I just need a few more minutes," Tim said, starting to type again.

Gibbs reached down and unplugged Tim's computer. Tim shot to his feet in anger.

"Why did you do that? I just lost all my data!"

Gibbs threw the cord on the floor.

"Listen to me. I want to find this kid just as much as you do, but you need to take a break... and I don't mean sleeping on the floor behind your desk."

"I don't-"

"Don't lie to me. I know you've been sleeping here." Gibbs softened his features. "Tim, what's really going on? It's not just this case that's bothering you."

Tim sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face.

"It's—it's not something I've ever told anyone, and something I have to do alone."

"Why?"

"I just do. I have to fix it. I'm the only one that can."

"Fix what?"

Tim turned away from him. Gibbs walked around the desk and put a hand on Tim's shoulder.

"If you tell me what's going on, I can help you. That's what I'm here for, son. You don't have to go through it alone."

Tim took a deep, shaky breath and pushed away the pain welling up in his chest.

"When I was 15, my 3-year-old brother Corey was taken from his bedroom. I was in the next room. I was so busy with my computer and my music, that I didn't hear him screaming. I lost him, Gibbs, and I am the only one that can get him back."

 **TBC...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _1993 ..._

 _"Tim! Honey, dinner's ready!" Ellen McGee knocked on her son's bedroom door. When he didn't open it, she tried to turn the handle. The door was locked._

 _"Timothy McGee, open this door right now!"_

 _There was a shuffling sound from within, and Ellen heard the lock click on the door. Tim opened it._

 _"You know you're not allowed to lock your bedroom door, Timothy..."_

 _"I'm sorry Mom... I was doing my homework and didn't want to be disturbed."_

 _"Don't do it again. Get your butt downstairs and wash up for dinner."_

 _"Yes Ma'am."_

 _Tim scurried past his Mother and went downstairs._

 _Ellen turned to follow him, but at the last minute stepped into her oldest's room. She was astonished at what she saw. Clothes, shoes and papers were strewn all over the room. Empty soda cans littered the floor, dresser and desk. Tim had always kept his room meticulously clean. To see it like this was disconcerting. It had been three months since Corey's disappearance, and Tim had withdrawn, and started acting out. He and the Admiral were at odds, and Ellen often found herself playing referee between her husband and son._

 _She decided to confront Tim during dinner, before the Admiral returned. If her husband found out, he'd be three times harder on Tim than she would be. She left the room, shut the door behind her and went downstairs to the kitchen. Sarah and Tim were sitting quietly at the table. She sat down in her place, and everyone began to serve themselves._

 _"Tim, after dinner I'd like you to clean your room. If your father comes home and sees that mess, he won't be as calm as I am about it."_

 _Tim quickly lowered his eyes, then brought them back to meet his Mother's stern gaze._

 _"Yes Ma'am."_

 _Dinner passed in silence, as it often did in the McGee home, and Tim escaped to his bedroom. He did as his Mother asked and cleaned up his bedroom, then logged back onto his computer to finish his work._

 _An hour later, Tim's printer fired up. He reached down and grabbed his printout, then went to his closet. He put on a black hoodie and slipped the paper into his pocket. Tim crept to his bedroom window and opened it wide. Listening for his parents' footsteps, he slipped through the window and closed it behind him._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tim told Gibbs everything... the aftermath of his brother's kidnapping, the case going cold, and how his parents forced him into therapy when they found out about his own nocturnal investigations.

The last part got Gibbs' attention.

"I need you to answer a question for me, and don't lie to me. Are you using NCIS resources to work your brother's case?"

Tim nodded silently.

"People get fired for that around here, you know."

"I know."

"How long?"

"I-"

"How. Long?"

Tim looked around to be sure he wouldn't be overheard.

"I've been able to hack into Federal databases undetected since I was 15 years old. I nearly got caught for it once, and that's when I had to stop hacking for a while. I went to college and then decided to join NCIS. When I got assigned to Norfolk, I started using NCIS resources on the down low to resume my search for Corey."

Gibbs took a few deep breaths. He knew the protocol for dealing with this situation, but damn him if he was going to lock away a man who was like a son to him, for simply trying to do what the Feds couldn't.

"You're not fired."

"What? But I-"

"You lied to me, and you lied to this agency... between you and me, I'm not gonna let that pass. I'm also not going to tell Vance, either. If I had the ability to do what you do, I would have probably done the same thing. You don't deserve to go down for it."

"Thank you, Boss."

"Don't thank me yet, McGee. I have a condition. You have to promise me that you will stop using NCIS resources on your own to find out what happened to your brother."

"You want me to stop looking for him?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you just said-"

"Don't stop looking, Tim. Just stop trying to do it on your own. You know as well as I do that it takes the tiniest of screw-ups for you to be found out. You can't find Corey from a jail cell. Let me help you look for him."

Tim pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay. Where do we start?"

"We start by you going home to your wife and getting a decent night's rest," Gibbs said with a smile.

Tim chuckled.

"All right. Good night, Boss."

 **TBC...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _1993..._

 _Tim slipped stealthily across the backyard. It was after three in the morning, and he was sure his Mother and the Admiral would be asleep. He checked the trellis under his window, and quickly scaled it. When he reached his bedroom window, he used one hand to slide open the screen and window. He quietly pulled himself inside. As he closed the window, his desk light clicked on behind him. He whirled around, and his heart leapt into his throat when he saw the Admiral sitting in his desk chair, arms crossed._

 _"Dad-"_

 _"Where have you been, Timothy?"_

 _Tim crossed the room and unzipped his hoodie, throwing it into his clothes hamper._

 _"Timothy, I asked you a question, and I expect an answer. Where the hell have you been?"_

 _Tim took a deep breath, and blinked slowly. He knew he wouldn't be able to lie to his father. He'd never gotten away with it in his life._

 _He turned slowly to face his father, and handed him the folded piece of paper in his pocket._

 _"What's this?"_

 _Tim remained silent while his father scanned the paper._

 _"How did you get this information?" The Admiral asked suspiciously when he finished reading._

 _"It's uh, it's complicated."_

 _"What did you hack?" The Admiral demanded._

 _"A lot of things," Tim said quietly._

 _John McGee wanted to be angry with his son. Really wanted to. But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to be. He knew what his son was trying to do._

 _"How long have you been doing this, Tim?" The Admiral said calmly._

 _"Since the night Corey was taken."_

 _"That was six months ago. You've been sneaking out of the house all night for six months?"_

 _"Only when I thought I found something."_

 _The Admiral pinched the bridge of his nose._

 _"Sit down."_

 _"Yes Sir."_

 _Tim sat down on the bed. The Admiral rolled the desk chair closer, so he was face to face with his son._

 _"Why are you doing this?"_

 _Tim looked at his lap. His father would never understand._

 _"Tim... what's going on? You haven't talked to me in six months, aside from shooting off your mouth and arguing with me. Talk to me, son."_

 _"Corey is my responsibility. I lost him. I have to find him."_

 _The Admiral sighed. He'd done this to his oldest son. He could hear himself shouting at Tim the night Corey vanished, telling his oldest how irresponsible he was. In fact, he'd been repeating that mantra every time Tim screwed up. He hadn't known what his son was going through emotionally, until now._

 _Tim was sitting on the bed, staring at his lap with the same look of shame he had on his face when he'd been yelled at for losing his brother._

 _"Tim, look at me."_

 _Tim shook his head._

 _"It's all right, son. Please, look at me."_

 _Tim let out a breath and slowly lifted his head up to face his father._

 _"I owe you an apology, Tim. I haven't been very fair to you over the past six months. I couldn't see what was going on in your head, because mine was in the sand. I know you feel responsible for what happened to your brother, but it was never your fault. I was wrong to blame you and call you irresponsible."_

 _"But I am responsible!" Tim shouted, flying to his feet. "I was right in the next room, and I didn't even hear him scream! I should have been able to save him!"_

 _Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he moved toward the window._

 _"He's out there somewhere, Dad... I'm going to find him, and bring him home. I have to fix what I did."_

 _The Admiral got up and joined his son at the window._

 _"Maybe he's out there somewhere, but it's not your responsibility to find him."_

 _"You don't understand, Dad... I have to. There's no other choice. No one else is looking for him. The police gave up months ago."_

 _"What would it do to your Mother and me if you were thrown into federal prison for what you're doing?"_

 _Tim hung his head. It would kill his Mother if he were taken away in handcuffs._

 _The Admiral put an arm around his son and pulled him in for a hug._

 _"I love you son... I don't want to lose you too."_

 _"I love you too, Dad."_

 _"Listen, get to bed. It's nearly four in the morning. School tomorrow."_

 _"Okay."_

 _"Good night, Son."_

 _The Admiral left his son to get ready for bed, and made his way down to his own bedroom. His wife was awake when he opened the door._

 _"Did you talk to him?"_

 _"He's holding himself responsible for his brother's kidnapping. He thinks he's the only one who can find Corey."_

 _"Oh no..."_

 _"Ellen... why don't we set up an appointment with a family therapist? I think we could all benefit from it."_

 _"That's a great idea."_

 _He kissed his wife._

 _"I'll make some calls tomorrow."_

 _John climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around Ellen._

 _"John, do you think he's out there? Do you think Corey could still be alive?"_

 _"I don't know... I wish I did."_

 _"Tim thinks his brother is still out there... doesn't he?"_

 _"Yes, he does."_

 _"John... I don't want to lose him too... I can't lose two of my babies."_

 _"You won't. I won't let him do anything stupid."_

 _Ellen curled into her husband's arms and fell asleep. John held his wife, but did not sleep a wink. All he could think of was another empty bedroom in the house._

 ** _TBC..._**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Delilah was curled up on the couch when Tim came home. She sat up as he shut the door behind him.

"Where have you been?" She asked, worry in her voice.

"Working late," he said, dropping his pack next to the door. "We're still not any closer to finding that little boy."

Tim crossed the room and kissed her.

"How are you feeling today?"

"The morning sickness is almost gone... for today."

"Good."

Tim made his way across the room to his desk and sat down. Delilah watched as he pulled something up and began typing.

"What's that you're doing?" she asked, sitting up on the couch.

"Just some personal stuff," he said, his eyes glued to his computer.

Delilah reached for her chair and pulled herself into it. She rolled over to her husband.

"Why don't you come to bed? You look exhausted."

"I'm fine."

Delilah looked over his shoulder, and her eyes widened at what she saw.

"Tim, that's the NCIS database! What the hell are you doing!"

"Looking for something."

"For the kidnapping case?"

"Not exactly-" He stopped suddenly, staring at his computer screen. "Oh my God..."

"What? Tim what is it?"

He got up quickly and grabbed his gun.

"I have to go."

"Tim, you're scaring me. Tell me what's wrong."

He leaned in and kissed her.

"I love you. I'll call you later. Don't worry."

With that, Tim hurried out of his apartment. He took the stairs and ran across the parking lot to his car. As he put his keys in the ignition, he spoke an address into his iPhone, and asked for directions. As soon as the map came up, he sped out of the parking lot.

If he was right about this, it might solve his brother's case, and the current one.

#########

After Tim left, Delilah rolled to the coffee table and picked up her cell phone. She hit #2 on her speed dial.

 _"Gibbs."_

"It's Delilah. Something's wrong with Tim."

 _"What's going on?"_

"He came home and hacked into the NCIS database. He sat there for five minutes, then jumped up and left. I'm scared, Gibbs... he's never acted this way before!"

 _"Did he say where he was going?"_

"No, but I bet I can find out... give me a minute."

Delilah rolled to the desk and pushed the desk chair out of her way. She made short work of following Tim's trail.

"He's looking into a 25 Year old kidnapping... it looks like he pinged an address."

 _"What's the address?"_

She gave him the address displayed on Tim's computer.

"Gibbs, what the hell is going on?"

 _"That's Tim's story to tell. I'm going after him. If you don't hear from me in two hours, call dispatch at NCIS and send backup."_

"Okay... just bring him home safe."

 **TBC...**


	7. Chapter 7

Tim drove toward the city limits, following the directions on his GPS. He'd been searching for a connection between the current case and his brother's, and stumbled across something more horrifying than he could have imagined. When the results of his final search finally came back and gave him the information he needed, he knew he had to pursue this alone. No one else would die because of him.

His cell phone vibrated in his jacket as he hit the city limits. He took it out and threw it on the seat next to him. He was going to catch hell for what he was doing, but it had to be done. He needed justice for Corey.

"Damn it, McGee!" Gibbs shouted when Tim's cell went to voice mail for the third time. He was tempted to throw it at his windshield, but flipped his phone back open, and dialed another number.

"Bishop, Tim's gone rogue... I think he found our kidnapper. I'm going to text you an address. Get Torres and meet me there."

He hung up and pulled over to send the text. He dropped his phone in the cup holder when he was finished and pulled back onto the road. If Tim didn't get himself killed, he was going to skin him alive when he found him.

It was nearing 2 a.m. when Tim drove past the old farmhouse he'd been looking for. He pulled over a bit down the road, to avoid being seen by the Perp. He checked his SIG and slipped into its sheath. He got out of the car and slipped along the tall grass on the side of the road toward the farmhouse. When it came into view, he moved quietly along the property line to the backyard.

He looked up at the house. A light was on upstairs. He slipped over to the edge of the back porch and quietly made his way up the steps. A quick check of the door revealed that it was locked, so Tim tried the window. It was unlocked, to his surprise. He slid it up and hoisted himself through the window and into the kitchen.

The house was dark and quiet. Tim drew his weapon and checked the dining room to his left. Clearing it and the living room, he moved quietly back through the kitchen and down the hallway leading to the foyer. As he moved down the hallway, he detected a faint cry from behind a closed door on his right. He quickly pulled open the door, and found himself staring at a set of steps.

Tim made his way down into the basement, and found an overhead light at the bottom of the stairs. The naked bulb dimly lit the room, but it was enough for him to have a look around. Another whimper cut through the silence, and he whirled around.

There, in the corner, was Caleb Dickerson, the boy they had been looking for.

"Hi Caleb," Tim said softly, approaching the boy very slowly. "My name is Tim. I'm a police officer, and I'm going to take you to your Mom. Okay?"

Caleb nodded.

Tim reached out, and Caleb stood and took his hand. He lifted the toddler into his arms and moved quickly to the basement steps. As he ascended, he heard the creak of footsteps above his head.

The kidnapper was coming.

Tim sprinted up the stairs and into the kitchen as a gunshot rang out. The bullet missed, hitting the wall next to him. He quickly put Caleb through the window as the kidnapper closed in.

"Caleb! Run! Run and don't stop!"

As Caleb ran across the yard, The kidnapper put a gun in Tim's back.

"Don't fucking move," he said in a gravelly voice.

Tim raised his hands in surrender. The Perp searched him, and relieved him of his service weapon.

"Sig Sauer... you're a cop." He pulled Tim's badge from his back pocket. "Not a cop, a Fed! Now I understand how you figured all of this out!"

The Perp pulled Tim's handcuffs out of his other pocket. He used them to restrain Tim's hands behind his back.

"Who are you?"

The Perp responded by pistol whipping Tim on the side of the head, sending him to his knees.

"Shut up."

The Perp set down his gun, and started to examine Tim's SIG.

"This is a fine weapon. You maintain it well."

Tim remained silent.

"It's been almost thirty years since I started this little pet project, you know."

"That's what you call murdering children? A pet project?"

The Perp fired a shot from the SIG, and the bullet whizzed by Tim's ear and embedded itself into the wall.

"I've learned over the years that research is very important. Wouldn't you agree, Timothy?"

"How do you-"

"I know a lot more than your name, Son."

Tim heard the sound of paper shuffling.

"Timothy F. McGee... born in Maryland and moved around by his Navy father." The Perp moved a couple of steps closer to Tim. "Life was good for little Timmy McGee, until the age of 16. It says here that you had a psychotic episode... after the disappearance of your baby brother."

"Shut up!" Tim shouted in anger. "You have no fucking right to talk about him!"

The Perp took another shot. This time, the bullet hit Tim in the shoulder. Tim screamed and nearly keeled over in pain.

"Control your temper young man... or the next bullet will be through your skull."

Tim nodded shakily.

"Now, where were we... oh, right here. It says here that you were obsessed with trying to find your brother, so much so that you got yourself arrested twice, for breaking and entering."

Tim fumed as the Perp continued to read his life back to him. This guy knew exactly what buttons to push to nudge his emotions over the edge. Tim fought to control his anger... it could mean the difference between Gibbs calling him an ambulance, or heading back to NCIS in one of Ducky's body bags.

The Perp finally finished reading, and closed the folder.

"You see, Timothy... I research everyone I come into contact with. I've been watching you for a very long time, and I knew someday you'd be the one to find me."

"Wh—why are you doing this? Why children?"

"Revenge, Timothy... it's all to do with revenge."

"What happened?" Tim asked.

The Perp suddenly fumed, and pistol whipped Tim.

"Shut the hell up! That's none of your fucking business!"

Tim lay on his side on the floor, trying to catch his breath. The Perp pointed the gun at Tim's head.

"It's time to end this, Timothy... I need to move on, and you're the only thing standing in my way."

"He's not the only thing."

Tim brought his eyes up to see Gibbs standing in the kitchen doorway, gun pointed at the Perp.

"Put down the gun."

"Not a chance... Agent Gibbs, is it?"

Gibbs was unwavered.

"You're a stoic man, Agent Gibbs. I read that about you."

"Drop the gun."

The Perp took a shot into the floor next to Tim's head. Tim rolled away from the bullet as it went through the tile.

"The next shot won't miss if you don't drop that gun right now, Leroy."

The use of his given name briefly struck a nerve. He suddenly felt as if he were talking to his father. He looked down at Tim, writhing in pain on the floor, restrained by his own handcuffs. The Perp's gun was pointed at his head. He made his decision, and lowered his weapon.

"Very good. Throw it in the sink."

Gibbs tossed his SIG into the kitchen sink.

Tim closed his eyes in futility. He was going to die because of his own stupidity, and he was going to take Gibbs with him. He was a terrible person.

A gunshot forced Tim's eyes to shoot open. The Perp lay dead on the kitchen floor. He looked over to the window, and saw Torres standing outside.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he said, sheathing his weapon and climbing through the window.

Gibbs crossed the room and joined them.

"Torres, call an ambulance."

"On it."

Gibbs kneeled next to Tim and freed him from the handcuffs.

"Caleb—I sent him out the window.-"

"He's all right. I picked him up on the side of the road. He's asleep in the back seat of my car."

Tim sighed in relief.

"Did you find what you were looking for, Tim?"

Tim nodded.

"Listen, Boss, I-"

"We have to talk, but not now."

Tim nodded as the paramedics joined them in the kitchen and descended on him.

TBC...


	8. Chapter 8

One week later...

The hospital doors slid open. The nurse pushed Tim outside onto the sidewalk in a wheelchair. Gibbs, he'd been told, had signed his discharge papers. His Boss was leaning against the NCIS issued Charger, and pushed himself up when Tim approached.

Gibbs had visited a couple of times, but they still hadn't talked about that night in the farmhouse. He'd been given the details on the case - the Perp's name was John Thomas Colbert, and his psychotic state had been triggered by the death of his brother, a Lance Corporal in the Marines, in 1983. It was unknown how he'd obtained all of the personal information and files in his possession. Little Caleb was reunited with his family, fortunately no worse for his experience.

The nurse stopped the wheelchair by the passenger side of the car, and Tim transferred himself into the vehicle. Gibbs thanked the nurse and silently got into the driver's seat.

The drive was thankfully silent. Tim rested his head on the seat and tried to close his eyes. His nap was short lived; Gibbs hit the brakes hard at a red light, jolting him awake.

"You broke protocol, you know."

Tim inwardly cringed. Here it was.

"I needed to do it alone... for Corey."

The light turned green, and Gibbs made a left turn.

"You almost got yourself killed. You should have called me when you found that evidence. You're lucky Torres killed him... otherwise he'd be walking because you illegally obtained evidence. Do you realize that?"

Tim lowered his eyes.

"Yes."

Gibbs pulled into the lot of Tim's apartment complex.

"The next time you have a problem, you come to me. No more of this crap with you taking off by yourself. Clear?"

"Clear, Boss."

"Good," Gibbs smiled. "Now get inside... your family is waiting for you."

Tim smiled.

"Thank you."

Tim got out of the car, and Gibbs pulled out of the lot and drove away. He hesitated at the door to his building. Apologizing to Delilah was going to be a lot harder than talking to Gibbs.

The apartment was dark when he entered. He'd called Delilah to let her know that Gibbs would be bringing him home after his discharge from the hospital. It was obvious she hadn't waited up for him.

Tim quietly made his way to the bedroom. Delilah was in bed, asleep. He undressed in the dark and slipped under the covers. He turned his head and looked at his wife. She was beautiful when she slept. He watched her for a minute, noting the rise and fall of her pregnant belly as she breathed deeply. Suddenly, what Gibbs said in the car made perfect sense.

Your family is waiting for you.

Indeed they were.

END


End file.
